Test Rugby 2014 Wallabies Spring Tour

Remove this Banner Ad

Log in to remove this ad.

Another bugger of a result. Ireland got out to 17-0 but the Wallabies fought back hard in the rest of the first half. Ireland's monstrous pack shone out in the end.

The front row of Fainga'a, Slipper and Kepu were great again but as soon as Fainga'a and Kepu were subbed off, the scrum really turned around badly.

Quite a lot to be happy with in that game against a very in form and impressive Irish side but a loss is a loss. Disappointing but a very good game to watch.
 
The Irish were the better team - sport is pretty simple, play for the full length of the match and take your chances. This team rarely seems to do it.
 
I thought it was a good performance from the Wallabies against a very in-form Irish team. The key moment in the match was the intercept try. That was basically a 14 point swing against us, and ultimately we didn't quite come back from it.

Still, very promising IMO to only lose by 3 points given the change in coach, the fact we're at the end of our season and that it was against such a good team away from home. It was a really great game to watch. Especially the first half. Some great tries and it was awesome to see the Wallabies looking super dangerous on counter attack. Had Foley's goal kicking been up to his usual recent standard the result may have been different too.
 
Maester said:
Had Foley's goal kicking been up to his usual recent standard the result may have been different too.
Click to expand...

This is no surprise, there is a reason he is a 65% goalkicker. It is the reason we need Lealifano at 12 and goalkicking. He is the best we have period. Test matches are decided by goalkicking time and time again.
 
LukeParkerno1 said:
This is no surprise, there is a reason he is a 65% goalkicker. It is the reason we need Lealifano at 12 and goalkicking. He is the best we have period. Test matches are decided by goalkicking time and time again.
Click to expand...

Don't know how many times I have to repeat this. Lilo is currently a 10-20% goalkicker. He's lost all confidence and won't be goalkicking at any level in the immediate future.

After the Ireland game, Toomua has strengthened his stake for the 12 position. It'll take something miraculous for Lilo or Beale to win back the position, especially if Cheika sticks with Foley at flyhalf.

I think come the WC, our backline will be the major issue. Foley failed to impress once again, although he improved as the game went on. I'm not sold on Phipps, but Genia has been very very average and would be my third choice well behind White.
 
Lions1024 said:
Don't know how many times I have to repeat this. Lilo is currently a 10-20% goalkicker. He's lost all confidence and won't be goalkicking at any level in the immediate future.

After the Ireland game, Toomua has strengthened his stake for the 12 position. It'll take something miraculous for Lilo or Beale to win back the position, especially if Cheika sticks with Foley at flyhalf.

I think come the WC, our backline will be the major issue. Foley failed to impress once again, although he improved as the game went on. I'm not sold on Phipps, but Genia has been very very average and would be my third choice well behind White.
Click to expand...

Well we are LOSING games with Foley as a goalkicker, get someone in there that is better. Foley is potentially a great number 10, but he isn't any better than an average goalkicker. Toomua is average, I'm sorry. Just waiting before Kyle Godwin is at 12. Toomua does some good things, but he is pedestrian in attack.
 
LukeParkerno1 said:
Well we are LOSING games with Foley as a goalkicker, get someone in there that is better. Foley is potentially a great number 10, but he isn't any better than an average goalkicker. Toomua is average, I'm sorry. Just waiting before Kyle Godwin is at 12. Toomua does some good things, but he is pedestrian in attack.
Click to expand...

I was just stating the fact that Lilo is not a viable goalkicker... Quade Cooper once fit will be a better flyhalf/goalkicking option.
 
Lions1024 said:
I was just stating the fact that Lilo is not a viable goalkicker... Quade Cooper once fit will be a better flyhalf/goalkicking option.
Click to expand...

Cooper is just as awful as a goal kicker. Plus Foleynis a younger and more consistent fly half anyway
 
I wouldn't be surprised if James O'Connor was our goal kicker at the world cup. He's been getting 1 on 1 tutoring at Toulon by Jonny Wilkinson. He was already a decent goal kicker, so maybe that will push him from say a 70% kicker to an 80% kicker.

As for 12 - lots of options. Toomua the best of them IMO when on form but I think Karmichael Hunt might also be a factor. I assume he'll probably start as a fullback for the Reds but I could see him moving into 12. Pretty sure he played there a lot for Biarritz in his season with them.

The forwards are a bigger concern than the backs. We lack depth in every position except 2 and 7 and especially at tighthead prop. And for Cheikas game plan we need more power running options.
 
Maester said:
I wouldn't be surprised if James O'Connor was our goal kicker at the world cup. He's been getting 1 on 1 tutoring at Toulon by Jonny Wilkinson. He was already a decent goal kicker, so maybe that will push him from say a 70% kicker to an 80% kicker.

As for 12 - lots of options. Toomua the best of them IMO when on form but I think Karmichael Hunt might also be a factor. I assume he'll probably start as a fullback for the Reds but I could see him moving into 12. Pretty sure he played there a lot for Biarritz in his season with them.

The forwards are a bigger concern than the backs. We lack depth in every position except 2 and 7 and especially at tighthead prop. And for Cheikas game plan we need more power running options.
Click to expand...

The starting pack by the time the RWC rolls around should be very strong assuming something close to full fitness but you're right, depth is a bit of an issue.

But if we can get something like the following on the field this year, we should have some confidence to go into the tournament with

1. Slipper (Robinson)
2. Moore (TPN - Fainga'a has been excellent on this tour IMO though)
3. Kepu (Sio - please not Alexander)
4. Carter (Jones)
5. Simmons (Horwill)
6. Fardy (Higginbotham)
7. Pocock (Hooper)
8. Palu (McCalman)

I mean that's not a terrible group of 16 forwards to work with. Although the depth being tested now will benefit us next year, the lock stocks are bad. Just plain bad. When the opposition are going to have the likes of Matfield/Ebezthen. Retallick/Whitelock, O'Connell/Toner, Wynn-Jones/Charteris, that could be a real hurdle for us. Simmons is becoming a pretty good player to me but we need desperately for Jones and Carter to make a lot of improvement over the next 10 months. I liked Luke Jones' game on the weekend (after this early two mistakes of having high body height in contact), I hope he is persevered with at lock. He needs to put on more weight for test level locking though.

Unlikely to get to the point of having an abrasive enough pack to win a RWC though.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

I'm not that down on the side currently atm though. I think there is some solid potential to work with here with Cheika over the next few seasons. We need a lot of strengthening around the fringes of the side but we have the nucleus of a very good side. Our starting side (in particular, our pack) can compete with the good sides but as soon as our bench forwards come on, things go badly very quickly.

After a good showing against a really good Irish side, I think there's a good chance of a win against England this week. Should be another really good game
 
S120 said:
But if we can get something like the following on the field this year, we should have some confidence to go into the tournament with

1. Slipper (Robinson)
2. Moore (TPN - Fainga'a has been excellent on this tour IMO though)
3. Kepu (Sio - please not Alexander)
4. Carter (Jones)
5. Simmons (Horwill)
6. Fardy (Higginbotham)
7. Pocock (Hooper)
8. Palu (McCalman)
Click to expand...

Problem with that pack is it only has 1 good line bending ball runner (Palu). Also lacks a bit of speed and skill. I think Hooper would be ahead of Pocock in that lineup, as he's the better ball runner and support player. Plus Fardy is very good over the ball so the threat at the ruck is there. On the other hand if Higginbotham was picked at 6 maybe Pocock would provide better balance. That's assuming Pocock is even fit, which is a big if.

Agree that lock is a problem. Big opportunity for guys to step up next season. I read that Dave Dennis is actually going to try and convert himself into a lock to give himself a better chance of making the world cup. At 192cm I think he's too short, but then again Brad Thorn was only slightly taller. It's too bad Potgieter isn't Australian.
 
Maester said:
Problem with that pack is it only has 1 good line bending ball runner (Palu). Also lacks a bit of speed and skill. I think Hooper would be ahead of Pocock in that lineup, as he's the better ball runner and support player. Plus Fardy is very good over the ball so the threat at the ruck is there. On the other hand if Higginbotham was picked at 6 maybe Pocock would provide better balance. That's assuming Pocock is even fit, which is a big if.

Agree that lock is a problem. Big opportunity for guys to step up next season. I read that Dave Dennis is actually going to try and convert himself into a lock to give himself a better chance of making the world cup. At 192cm I think he's too short, but then again Brad Thorn was only slightly taller. It's too bad Potgieter isn't Australian.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean with the ball running thing but I wouldn't discount Pocock as a good ball runner. He always makes the advantage line. Although this is all very hypothetical because who knows how is knee is going to be in 2015 after essentially 2 years of nothing. And Hooper certainly is a better support player. You're right too that Fardy is very good over the ball so that could allow us to play Pocock off the bench and Hooper starting, his activity around the field is very good. We certainly need someone who can win turnovers at the breakdown, Pocock or Fardy. Palu is annoying because at his best he's brilliant but he's so rarely fit and at 100% fitness. I'd always pick Fardy over Higginbotham btw.

I wouldn't back Dennis to make that transition at test level unfortunately. Super rugby, perhaps. But his lack of height is a huge problem there because, at least to me, he doesn't seem like one of those brutally strong shorter locks, like a Potgieter or Thorn. They get away with it because they're just animals who can make up for their lack of size in the scrum through manic pressure and lower body height. I just don't get that impression with Dennis. Here's hoping though for his sake.

And I said that exact thing to my friend regarding Potgieter on the weekend, I wish he was Australian. He's just the kind of physical madman who has no regard for his body or the opposition that we need right now to inject some bite to the pack.
 
I don't think Pocock is near Hooper as a ball runner. Hooper has great speed, leg drive and awareness in contact. Gets over the advantage line a lot whether through finding a small gap, using his leg drive or spinning out of a tackle. And while he's clearly not in Pocock's league over the ball it's not like he never makes a turnover. With those 2, if they were fully fit I think it'd be good not to have a set starter. It would really depend on the opposition and the balance of our pack. Against a really big, forward dominated team for example I think pilfering ability is less impactful at the start of the game than it is at the end. Whereas against a wider running team that plays at a faster pace (e.g. All Blacks) having a breakdown king like Pocock for the first 60 minutes would maybe be a better idea.

Fardy was excellent last year but I don't think his form was so good for the Wallabies this season before his injury. Hopefully the injury was a bit of a blessing in disguise and he's back to his best next year.

I don't think he's played there for the Wallabies yet, but he's also obviously an option at lock. You could potentially have Fardy and Higginbotham in the same team and they complement each other as players. Though playing at lock would probably reduce Fardy's effectiveness around the field a bit.
 
Fardy was just hitting top form in the Brisbane Bledisloe. He was great in that game, but I agree he had been not playing very well before that match.

Yeh I wouldn't be completely opposed to playing Fardy at lock. It's purely because our lock stocks are just bereft right now. If Kane Douglas was still around, I'd have him starting with Simmons and Fardy at 6 without hesitation. But yeh a Simmons/Fardy locking pair with say Jones or McCalman at 6 could work I think. McCalman has upped his form greatly on this tour to me, he's been great. I just have an aversion to Higginbotham at test level particularly at blindside, I can't help it. He's a great Super player and a tremendous athlete but seeing him hanging on the wing in tests and barely hitting any rucks just annoys me. I'd have him at 8 if we can have Fardy or McCalman at 6. He just isn't tight enough to be a blindside to me. I certainly would be very reluctant to have him at 6 and Palu at 8 in the same starting side.

Fardy is a relatively tight kind of player anyway, so I don't think we'd lose too much if he was to be at lock rather than blindside.
 
Lebbo73 said:
I hope you are right, but I can't see us competing against England this weekend.
Click to expand...

Ireland are a better side than England to me. I think we're a slightly better shot at beating them as we were Ireland. Their pack is very good but so was Ireland's and our starting pack matched it with them.

As usual, our bench plays a huge role in this. Our starters are good enough to compete with the best sides in the world. If the bench can come on and do well, we're a big chance. If they wilt as they have recently, we'll likely get beaten late.
 
Not looking forward to this one.

The sloppy hands and skill errors are making the Wallabies hard to watch at the moment. Admittedly I missed the game against Ireland, but the one against France was enough to put me off for a little while :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Test Rugby New Wallabies Coach - Joe Schmidt
Replies
0
Views
403
joey_jo_jo
J

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top